F1 | Australian GP 2026 RACE CLASSIFICATION: results and order of arrival. Russell wins, Ferrari on the podium

The 2026 Formula 1 season kicked off with a dominant Mercedes performance at the Australian Grand Prix. On the Melbourne street circuit, George Russell claimed victory ahead of teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli, completing a stunning 1-2 finish for the Silver Arrows. Charles Leclerc also made the podium, finishing third for Ferrari ahead of Lewis Hamilton in fourth. This marked Russell’s sixth career win, secured after a controlled second half of the race once he took the lead from the Ferraris

Podium F1 gara

1) George Russell (Mercedes)→ 58 laps
2) Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +2.974
3) Charles Leclerc (Scuderia Ferrari) +15.519

F1 AUSTRALIAN GP RACE CLASSIFICATION – FINAL RESULTS

Pos	DRIVER	TEAM	TIME	POINTS
1	George Russell	Mercedes	LEADER	25
2	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	+2.974	18
3	Charles Leclerc	Scuderia Ferrari	+15.519	15
4	Lewis Hamilton	Scuderia Ferrari	+16.144	12
5	Lando Norris	McLaren	+51.741	10
6	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	+54.617	8
7	Oliver Bearman	Haas	+1 GIRO	6
8	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	+1 GIRO	4
9	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	+1 GIRO	2
10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+1 GIRO	1
11	Esteban Ocon	Haas	+1 GIRO	0
12	Alexander Albon	Williams	+1 GIRO	0
13	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	+1 GIRO	0
14	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	+2 GIRI	0
15	Carlos Sainz	Williams	+2 GIRI	0
16	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	+3 GIRI	0
17	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+15 GIRI	0
18	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	DNF	0
19	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	DNF	0
20	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull	DNF	0
21	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	DNF	0
22	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	DNF	0

RACE ANALYSIS: Driver Standings and Key Positions

As the lights went out, Leclerc got a perfect launch off the grid, overtaking Russell into Turn 1 to take the lead ahead of the Mercedes driver and Hamilton. However, Russell responded immediately in the opening laps, reclaiming the position before a successful counter-move by the Monegasque driver in the early stages.

The battle between Ferrari and Mercedes electrified the start of the race, with Russell constantly shadowing the two “Rosse.” On Lap 8, the Briton retook the lead after a decisive move, while Antonelli began charging through the field, joining the fight for the top positions.

The race saw its first neutralisation on Lap 11 when Hadjar pulled over with a power unit failure, triggering a Virtual Safety Car (VSC). At this stage, Mercedes opted for an aggressive strategy by pitting for Hard tires, while the Ferraris stayed out on Mediums, attempting to extend their stint.

Just after the halfway point, Russell successfully completed his comeback: on Lap 28, he overtook Hamilton at Turn 9 to take definitive control of the race. From that moment on, the Mercedes duo dictated a very solid pace, consistently lapping in the high 1:22s.

A second key moment occurred on Lap 19 with another Virtual Safety Car for Bottas’s Cadillac, which stopped at Turn 14. Later in the race, Fernando Alonso also retired, as Aston Martin chose to preserve components following a difficult outing.

In the closing stages, Russell and Antonelli managed their gap to the Ferraris, maintaining a margin of around 15 seconds. With five laps to go, the top positions remained stable, while Norris and Verstappen were locked in a battle for fifth place.

Russell started the final lap with over a three-second lead on Antonelli and crossed the line as the winner of the Australian Grand Prix, completing a Mercedes 1-2 with the young Italian in second. Behind them, Leclerc finished third, followed by Hamilton

Mercedes: A Historic 1-2 Finish with Andrea Kimi Antonelli on the Podium

The Mercedes triumph is completed by a historic result for Italian motorsport: Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s second-place finish. In his official debut, the young talent showed surprising maturity, matching his teammate’s pace and fending off attacks from pursuers. This spectacular 1-2 finish sends a clear signal to the championship: Mercedes is the team to beat.

Ferrari: Leclerc 3rd on the Podium, Hamilton Just Outside the Top Three

Despite the Silver Arrows’ dominance, Ferrari leaves Melbourne knowing they are the second-strongest force in the world championship, albeit with a technical gap to close. Charles Leclerc maximized the potential of the SF-26, snatching a precious third place that saves the “Cavallino’s” honor on a weekend where Mercedes appeared unreachable. The Monegasque driver attempted to challenge Russell in the early stages but eventually had to yield to the superior tire management of the Silver Arrows. Behind him, a solid Lewis Hamilton finished in fourth place. Although staying just off the podium, the Briton confirmed a good feeling with the car, bringing home heavy points for the Constructors’ standings and finishing the race with a consistent pace that bodes well for the upcoming rounds.

Fastest Lap Analysis: Comparing Laps Between Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull

The battle for the fastest lap in Melbourne confirmed the exceptional efficiency of the new 2026 cars. Despite Mercedes’ dominance, it was Max Verstappen who snatched the additional point in the final stages. Thanks to a furious comeback from 20th to 6th position, the Dutchman utilized a fresh set of tires in the closing laps to set the absolute best time. However, the data shows an extremely solid race pace for Mercedes, with Kimi Antonelli able to drop below 1:23 by mid-race, demonstrating immediate confidence with the W17. At Ferrari, Leclerc and Hamilton responded with very competitive times (both under 1:23.4) in an attempt—later failed due to strategy—to close the gap to the Silver Arrows during the final stint. The fastest lap comparison highlights that while Mercedes has the most balanced package, Red Bull maintains a top speed and “time attack” capability that promises an extremely hard-fought championship.

Top 10 Standings: Fastest Laps in the Race (Melbourne 2026)

In the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen set the fastest lap of the race with a time of 1:21.980. The Dutchman achieved this benchmark on Lap 56 (out of 58), taking advantage of an extra pit stop strategy late in the race to fit fresh tires. Thanks to this “strike,” Verstappen managed to snatch the bonus point despite an uphill Sunday, marked by starting from the last position due to a crash in Saturday’s qualifying. In addition to the fastest lap point, Verstappen gathered another 8 points for his 6th place finish, totaling 9 points.

Pos	DRIVER	TEAN	TIME	LAPS
1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	1:21.980	56
2	Lando Norris	McLaren	1:22.167	43
3	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	1:22.536	46
4	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	1:22.582	22
5	George Russell	Mercedes	1:22.765	18
6	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	1:22.970	43
7	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	1:23.242	43
8	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	1:24.192	43
9	Yuki Tsunoda	Racing Bulls	1:24.194	43
10	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:24.553	5

The performance comparison between the 2026 and 2025 cars in Melbourne reveals the drastic impact of the new technical regulations. As predicted by engineers, the new single-seaters — which are lighter but feature less aerodynamic downforce and a different electrical energy management system — proved to be significantly slower over a single flying lap.